After Landfall
by Kiith
Summary: After the Exodus, and the long journey through the galay, the Kushan finally reached their destination - Hiigara. The colonists aboard the mothership, who silently travelled with the fleet as the last remains of a people have been unfreezed recently, giving them the privilege to life in the promised land. But some would rather not want to have this privilege.


_So much destruction. So many lives lost for this place._

What if we lost too many?

Even now, Vaas had a hard time walking, or even just trying to stay on her feet. But still, even if some concentration was needed, she walked in the wet grass, next to this thin path, meandering through an open plain.

Long ago, they told told her about this, that a general feeling of weakness would be nothing but a side effect of the cryogenic sleep and the unfreezing procedure. That it would most probably fade away some days later, and that it would definitely not take longer than two weeks.

While a little part of her – the one observing the environment, the landscape of her home, in awe and wonderment – still would have liked to believe the scientists words, only waiting for the joyful day when the woman could jump around again, happily exploring every square metre of the sacred place she stood on now, Vaas, deep inside, knew that this feeling would not fade away, that she would not regain strength, as this terrible sentiment that slowly took over her body, and mind, was not caused by the long sleep.

Spotting a little pond to her right, not too far away, the woman stopped. In the faint light, shining down from the silhouette of the Angel moon above her head, the water surface gleamed, showing a play of light and shadow. Slowly, she walked towards it, stopping just right beneath the water. As she looked down, the dimly illuminated water functioned as a mirror. But it did not really show what Vaas would have liked to see. Although it reflected only what was there, this was where the problem lied. The water showed nothing but a single, pale woman and the night sky.

As she looked into the pond, her heart broke once more. There was nothing left besides her. Granted, there were others. More than five hundred thousand people who now roamed the surface of their promised land. Others, whose diaspora ended the moment they set foot on their homeworld. But five hundred thousand people, what was this, compared to the amount of souls who had to leave this world, hoping to find a place at Sajuuk's side as their lives ended. Millions and millions of Kushan, eradicated as they were looking forward for their people to have a bright future after returning home.

For Vaas, no matter what others tried to tell her, they were all alone now, and on their blind journey towards Hiigara, they sacrificed everything.

"_Listen, Miss Rael-Soban. You...have to listen closely now, and be very strong. Quite a few things happened since the beginning of your cryogenic sleep. But no matter what I will tell you now, always keep in mind that we made it here. That you are one of those having the privilege to live on Hiigara, our home"._

Closing her eyes, Vaas remembered the day when they woke her up. When that military psychologist approached her to tell her the story of the Exodus, and the homeworld war which both did cost so many lives. A single tear fell down and became part of the pond as she recalled these two sentences again.

"No matter what I will tell you now, always keep in mind that we made it here. That you are one of those having the privilege to live on Hiigara, our home".

_It took almost one hour for the man to finish with his explanations. The whole time, Vaas listened quietly, but her face explained so much. Now, after the man turned silent, Vaas, verge of tears, asked nothing but one single question, her voice trembling as she started to speak. _

_"What does this privilege mean, if there is no one of us left to enjoy the sacred gardens of Hiigara?"_

_She did not receive an answer._

Now and here, the woman could not help but smile while turning away from the little pond, continuing to walk through the night again, always following that little path. Somewhere in the grass, crickets were chirping, underlining the peaceful scenery with their weird music. It was such a wonderful place, and Vaas was aware of this. It was their promised land. Home of them all, not only a place for those who had the luck to survive.

Behind a little hill, not more than one or two hundred metres away, she could already hear it. The sound of water, hitting the coast. It took some time for the woman to pass this distance by foot, and once or twice she had to take a little break, just looking into the night sky, towards the faintly glowing orb of the Angel moon.

But eventually, Vaas managed to follow the path, until it ended near to the cliffs. Underneath her, the water collided with the coast, again and again. As it was night, it was difficult to spot where exactly the cliff ended, and where the sea began. Above her, the Angel moon followed the same trail it moved on for aeons now, looking down on what was left of the children of Hiigara. Vaas, taking a deep breath, sighed. A faint smile appeared on her face, as she spoke. "This sacred place should belong to everyone, not only me".

Then the void embraced her, as the woman fell towards the cold sea.


End file.
